Replacement Side Dots

[MochaFiend]

Hello,

I have a Mustang with clay side dots and in low light they are almost impossible to see. I'd like to have them replaced with something larger and / or brighter. Is this something a luthier would consider or is it too small a job?

I know an expert shouldn't need them, but I am far, far from that.

 

[Geepers]

Cheap, quick fix: use a paper punch to punch some dots out of a white vinyl contact sheet. They will feel virtually flush, last well and are nice and bright.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Hello,

I have a Mustang with clay side dots and in low light they are almost impossible to see. I'd like to have them replaced with something larger and / or brighter. Is this something a luthier would consider or is it too small a job?

I know an expert shouldn't need them, but I am far, far from that.
View attachment 7080085

Replacing side dots with something bigger and more visible is a simple job for most of us Luthiers. Not expensive; like $50 plus return shipping.

I personally use 1/8" white plastic dots on most of the basses I build. They are simple and very good visibility. I like plain white plastic better than pearl or synthetic pearl. On an all maple neck, black plastic.

On maple/rosewood necks like yours, the dots are centered on the glue line, half on the maple and half on the rosewood. There are a few custom tricks to make them more visible. One is "target" dots where the outer ring is black and the center is white. Another is half/half dots, where the upper half is white and the lower half is black. A little more work, but not difficult.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Clay dots are horrible on a dark stage, no wonder Fender stopped using them (except in some of their "vintage" models...). White dots will make a HUGE difference. And yes, any decent luthier should be able (and willing) to do this.

 

[Bodeeni]

these are great non-invasive option. Come in a ton of colors and even dayglow

 

[claudel]

Vials

tritium vials, tritium keychain, tritium key fob, titanium tritium key fob

www.mixglo.com

I tried to install tritium vials as side dots with mixed results.

If I'd been more careful the experiment would have been a success

The dots are quite visible in low light. ( scuze the bad picture... )

Unfortunately I messed up the implementation and will be needing to seek professional help.

The victim will be needing the fingerboard replaced.

I finally got the frets pulled and the Mirror Coat poured and shaped correctly and proceeded to botch drilling the holes for the dots and ruined it.

I'll be looking over the winter after I recover emotionally for someone to plane off my teachable moment and redo.

Overall I think it was a good idea ruined by my lack of skill...

 

[Dana R Gregory]

You can check at Gollihur Music. They sell stick-on dots for upright basses and they should work fine for your needs. Worth a look.

 

[Tommy Sparks]

That looks exactly like one of my P bases, same issue same problem. I think the hole punch with the vinyl may be the way to go. I’ll give it a shot.

 

[bassman28]

Here you go.

 

[Barticus]

View attachment 7080158

Vials

tritium vials, tritium keychain, tritium key fob, titanium tritium key fob

www.mixglo.com

I tried to install tritium vials as side dots with mixed results.

If I'd been more careful the experiment would have been a success

The dots are quite visible in low light. ( scuze the bad picture... )

View attachment 7080159

Unfortunately I messed up the implementation and will be needing to seek professional help.

The victim will be needing the fingerboard replaced.

I finally got the frets pulled and the Mirror Coat poured and shaped correctly and proceeded to botch drilling the holes for the dots and ruined it.

I'll be looking over the winter after I recover emotionally for someone to plane off my teachable moment and redo.

Overall I think it was a good idea ruined by my lack of skill...

Can you post a better picture?
Which size did you use?
Did you glue in with CA?
How thick is the capsule?
Is there risk of sanding through the capsule?

 

[turf3]

Apply white-out.

 

[Turnaround]

Luminlay high quality phosphorescent fluorescent inlays

luminlay.com

 

[claudel]

Can you post a better picture?
Which size did you use?
Did you glue in with CA?
How thick is the capsule?
Is there risk of sanding through the capsule?

I'll try for a better picture.

I used two 2mm x 12mm @ position 12 and one 3mm x 18mm at 3,5,7,9

3mm x 18mm seems to be a bit too much.

3mm is larger than one would think

Gluing with CA in an inadequately careful manner was part of the problem

The capsules are pretty thin and yes, they are way too easy to sand thru, allowing the magic glow to escape.

I do plan on finishing this at some point, but R&R the fingerboard is more than I'll be able to deal with on my own.

I definitely like the tritium vials for dots. Hopefully I'll be able to get the project back on track.

It's been quite the hackfest so far. Definite learning experience.

 

[Spectre Gunner]

I have a 64' Fender CS Jazz with the Journeyman Relicing option. Of course the neck is relic'd which makes the clay side dots even harder to see. They may as well be camouflaged. Therefore, I'm planning to have the same re-dot job done by luthier. He did this job on a defretted Squier which needed to the dots relocated. It came out great and you have to look real close to seen where the old dots were filled in.

I don't care too much about authenticity with this bass since it's a replica and not original. I'd like to use luminlay dots and I don't think that mod to hurt the resale value much if any. I don't need fretboard dots but I do need the side dots. I occasionally land on the wrong fret because the side dots are so hard to see.

 

[Barticus]

I'll try for a better picture.

I used two 2mm x 12mm @ position 12 and one 3mm x 18mm at 3,5,7,9

3mm x 18mm seems to be a bit too much.

3mm is larger than one would think

Gluing with CA in an inadequately careful manner was part of the problem

The capsules are pretty thin and yes, they are way too easy to sand thru, allowing the magic glow to escape.

I do plan on finishing this at some point, but R&R the fingerboard is more than I'll be able to deal with on my own.

I definitely like the tritium vials for dots. Hopefully I'll be able to get the project back on track.

It's been quite the hackfest so far. Definite learning experience.

This is the part that concerned me the most

The capsules are pretty thin and yes, they are way too easy to sand thru, allowing the magic glow to escape.

It sends the 2mmx6mm would be the best option, why did you go with the longer version? Are they brighter?

 

[claudel]

This is the part that concerned me the most

It sends the 2mmx6mm would be the best option, why did you go with the longer version? Are they brighter?

I was guessing instead of thinking it through...

 

[EdO.]

Cheap, quick fix: use a paper punch to punch some dots out of a white vinyl contact sheet. They will feel virtually flush, last well and are nice and bright.

That looks exactly like one of my P bases, same issue same problem. I think the hole punch with the vinyl may be the way to go. I’ll give it a shot.

That's what I did, works like a charm. Cheap, easy, quick fix.

 

[nervous]

I will add my vote for Luminlay side markers. I have had the same issues live with a couple of my 6 string guitars and these have solved that beautifully. Not crazy expensive nor difficult to install and the benefit is amazing.

 

[TK4261]

+1 for Luminlay side dots. Here is a video that I found about 5 years ago that has helped me change out my side dots for Luminlay on quite a few basses over the years. Using a pen/hand drill works great.

 

[MojoPin]

Hello,

I have a Mustang with clay side dots and in low light they are almost impossible to see. I'd like to have them replaced with something larger and / or brighter. Is this something a luthier would consider or is it too small a job?

I know an expert shouldn't need them, but I am far, far from that.
View attachment 7080085

That looks like a JMJ stang and if it is just a heads up, I'm almost positive those aren't clay dots just plain white most likely plastic dots. They don't even look like the clay dots I have on my Vintage II 60s P bass which are clearly clay because they are BROWN and look like clay. Here is what I'm talking about, check out the dots on this bass that is exactly like mine, very brown and you can tell they are clay from the front dots to the side ones. An absolute nightmare compared to the dots in your pic and on MY JMJ stang but I can see how even those on the mustang can be hard to see. People seem to think the JMJ is a "re-issue" to original spec 60s mustang and it's not really. It has a 9.5 inch radius which feels very different from the 7.5 inch radius neck on my P bass I mentioned above but it does have all the 60s style hardware and some quirks with how the pick ups fit plus the nitro finish.

Luminlay dots as mentioned above are awesome and should solve your problem though.